19 Days - One Shots

The Stranger in the Woods - Part Two

4 weeks.

4 weeks and 5 days to be precise.

It had been almost 5 weeks since Mo Guan Shan had come into contact with the mysterious, handsome stranger in the woods. He could do nothing but think of the man every time he closed his eyes, a yearning for him weighed down his heart. Before, he would hunt twice a week but now he traversed the forest every day hoping, wishing, he would catch even a glimpse of the stranger.

Irritation would take over most of the time. First with the stranger - when he entered the forest he knew he was being watched, could feel eyes following his every step and Guan Shan knew who it was. He would be angered when the stranger didn't reveal himself. But then Guan Shan would be mad at himself for going to search for him every day when he clearly didn't want to be found. But he couldn't stop himself; he had to find him and try to understand what it was about this man that drew him in so deeply.

Today was no different. The redhead shouldered his bow and slung the sheaf of arrows across his back as he did every day and left for the woods. It was a twenty minute hike to reach the outer edge then he would travel another fifteen minutes to get deep into the thick copse of trees.

Guan Shan felt eyes on him as soon as he stepped foot into the woods, as he always did and it made his heart beat faster but he paid no attention to it as always. He craved the stranger's attention but his pride stopped him from calling out and asking for it. The beautiful enigma would reveal himself when he was good and ready to. He hoped.

He reached his usual destination and crouched down, staring at scene before him. It was the remnants of the fire they had the night they met, the silver cups abandoned and forgotten. He glanced up at the fence and his eyes glazed over as he remembered the cloaked figure leaning against him, their lips so close he could feel the burning heat coming off him.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Guan Shan rose from the ground and whirled around. Before him stood two men he hadn't seen before. His heart rate sky rocketed in his chest, not expecting the intrusion. He had been so deep in his thoughts, he hadn't even heard the men coming. Where the fuck did they even come from?

The first man was a tall man with a large stomach and a balding head. He looked Guan Shan up and down, lingering on his hair before sneering. "What's a lone fox doing out here? Don't you know these woods are full of dangerous animals."

The second man stood to the left slightly. He was small and skinny with dark greasy hair that fell past his shoulders. He appeared jittery as if he had drunk one too many coffees. He rubbed his hands together nervously and shifted from foot to foot. He nodded frantically, a high pitched laugh escaping his throat. "Lone fox." He repeated.

These men meant trouble. Guan Shan took a step back. He would be able to take the smaller one in a fight but the larger of the two was a problem. The man looked like he would knock over a horse with a measly push. Guan Shan was hot tempered and always ready for a fight but he wasn't stupid. He knew when he would lose. He removed his bow from his shoulder and quickly pulled an arrow out and aimed it at them.

"Stay the fuck away from me."

This seemed to add to their excited energy and they ignored him for a moment.

The first guy nudged the second, knocking him slightly. "Hey, how much do redheads go for these days? They're quite the rarity."

The second looked down to his hand and raised his fingers as if counting, but Guan Shan highly doubted he knew how. He looked up and nodded, his gaze frantically shifting between the two. "A lot. A whole lot."